Automated financial transaction machines are known in the prior art. Such automated financial transaction machines are used to carry out transactions involving transfers of value. A common type of automated financial transaction machine is an Automated Teller Machine (“ATM”). ATMs enable customers to carry out banking transactions such as receiving cash, making deposits, transferring funds, paying bills, and making account balance inquiries. The type of banking transactions the customer may carry out are determined by the capabilities of the particular ATM and the programming thereof by the institution or other entity responsible for operating the ATM. Other common types of automated financial transaction machines include payment terminals at which users may pay utility bills or other obligations. Other types of automated financial transaction machines may be used to cash checks. Other types of automated financial transaction machines include machines that dispense or accept cash, tickets, scrip, vouchers, gaming materials, or other items or things of value.
Automated transaction machines generally include a user interface through which a user is enabled to selectively operate the machine. Such user interfaces commonly include display screens, buttons, touch screen sensor devices, function keys; and other input and output devices through which a user may communicate with the machine. Designers of financial transaction machines generally strive to make the user interfaces readily used by the vast majority of people. Manufacturers of financial transaction machines, particularly ATMs, have achieved success in gaining wide customer acceptance of their machines as a result of the user friendly designs of the interfaces used.
Despite the efforts made to develop suitable user interfaces for automated financial transaction machines, certain individuals may still encounter difficulty in using such machines. Such difficulties may sometimes be encountered by persons who are significantly taller or shorter than a person of average height for whom the machines were designed. Such persons may have difficulty reading or operating the input and output devices included in the user interface.
Persons with disabilities also sometimes encounter problems in operating some types of financial transaction machines. For example, a person in a wheelchair may have difficulty seeing or providing inputs to the user interface of an automated transaction machine that is also made for use by a standing non-disabled person. Persons with impaired vision or who are blind may encounter difficulties operating financial transaction machines that are made for sighted persons. While provisions have often been made in transaction machines to accommodate disabilities or to provide special machines for use by persons with disabilities, the available solutions have not always been totally satisfactory.
Another circumstance in which automated transaction machines sometimes do not have a user interface that can readily be operated by all persons is in a drive-through environment. For example in a drive-through ATM application, the input and output devices of the user interface are generally positioned to be accessible to persons driving a standard automobile. However, persons driving higher or lower vehicles may often find it difficult to operate all the components of the user interface. It is not uncommon for example, for persons operating sport utility vehicles to have to open their doors or step outside the vehicle to operate the drive-through ATM. This lessens convenience for such persons.
An increasing number of older persons make up the population. While advances in medicine have enabled many older persons to enjoy relatively good health, there is a significant number of persons who experience problems with aging. Such problems may include impairment of vision or hearing. Persons may also have decreased manual dexterity and slower motor skills. For such persons, operating a user interface of an automated financial transaction apparatus made for use by the general public may prove difficult. This is particularly problematic as in many transaction situations, there is no other alternative to operating an automated transaction machine to carry out a desired transaction.
Increasing numbers of persons utilize portable devices with communications capabilities such as cell phones and PDAs. Such persons may prefer to conduct transactions using such portable devices rather than using the display screen and certain input and output devices located on the automated financial transaction apparatus.
Thus there exists a need for an automated financial transaction apparatus with an interface that adjusts to the particular user and that is more readily operated by such user.